I first met Vicky Fang in early 2017. We were beginner writers at our very first Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators conference in Pacific Grove, California, each looking for someone to befriend, so we didn’t stand awkwardly around the coffee station alone. Luckily, our paths crossed and, to misquote a cliche, the rest is our literary history.
After that first meeting, we became critique partners, exchanging our first attempts at picture book manuscripts in late-night emails. Vicky squeezed in writing after a full day at Google, where she was a designer and a full evening with her young family. We supported each other through the querying process, eventually both ending up with the same literary agent. Many books followed, Vicky wowing me with her prolificacy as she expanded her writing from picture books to chapter books, board books and more. And now she’s also an illustrator, her new One Mat Cat series especially showcases her fun style and innate ability to create relatable characters for kids.
I wouldn’t be where I am in my career without Vicky. But something else has developed over the years: deep friendship. We may live in different countries after Vicky and her family made the move from California to Vancouver, but our ongoing text chats and catch-ups about every aspect of our lives remain.
-Written by Christine N. Evans
***
Which neighbourhood are you in?
I live in North Vancouver, near Edgemont Village. I love the access to nature, the supportive community, and the town. I especially love that I have access to great coffee shops and bookstores!
What do you do?
I am a children’s book author and illustrator. I write books to encourage new readers and to inspire creative problem-solving. I love what I do. I started writing because I saw an education gap in STEM while I was working as a kids’ product designer at Google. Now, I write more broadly about a range of topics, often inspired by my kids and what I see happening in their worlds.
What are you currently working on?
I’m working on the release of my next children’s book: a graphic reader called One Mad Cat and the Missing Book! It’s about a cute, mad cat who puts her irritations aside to help solve mysteries for her friends. The idea for the book came from helping one of my kids deal with anxiety. I was thinking about how difficult it is to step outside of your comfort zone, even when it’s something you WANT to do. It’s such a universal and relatable feeling. No matter who you are, there will be something you want to do that challenges your boundaries. How do you handle the anxiety that comes with that?
I hope these books help give kids some creative inspiration to work through feelings of anxiety, with heart and humour. I also hope these books help new readers fall in love with reading!
Where can we find your work?
Anywhere you can find books, like bookstores and libraries! In the Vancouver area, you can probably find signed copies at Kidsbooks or Kinder Books. If you don’t see my books available, you can always ask. This helps spread the word, too.
